FOXBORO – It’s a new era in New England.
Want proof? Hours before Sunday night’s upset win over the previously undefeated Bills, one of the Patriots’ biggest rivals from the dynasty era arrived during a morning team meeting to provide some words of wisdom to a squad looking to prove something on national television.
The speech from former Colts head coach Tony Dungy resonated with Patriots players.
“It was about everybody owning your role and knowing your role,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said Sunday night after the 23-20 win. “And everybody doing their job, man, and just believing. And taking that role so importantly that collective efforts will add up. They’ll accumulate. So we did that, and I’m happy, man, and everybody owned their role in it.”
The Patriots came into Highmark Stadium as significant underdogs. After leading 6-3 at halftime, the Patriots overcame a 10-6 deficit in the second half, held on after leading 20-10 and eventually had to mount a game-winning drive with under two minutes left in the game to kick a field goal to win 23-20 against a team widely considered the best in the NFL heading into Week 5.
Dungy watched Patriots practice with Pats legend Rodney Harrison, his NBC Sports colleague, on Friday.
“He’s an unbelievable human,” center Garrett Bradbury said of Dungy. “His coaching career speaks for itself. So he gave us just a few nuggets on qualities and characteristics of his championship teams and what he sees in teams, and what you need to focus on. And it’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s, it’s who you are as a player and how you go about your business.”
The win – featuring the first game-winning drive of quarterback Drake Maye’s career – came with heroics from players who have struggled this season. Rookie kicker Andy Borregales, who missed two extra points in the Patriots’ Week 2 win, kicked a 52-yard game-winning field goal.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who fumbled earlier in the game in a key moment when the Patriots had just benefitted from their own takeaway, scored two touchdowns. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who was penalized twice in the game, caught a 19-yard pass to set up the field goal.
“I think it was huge hearing it from a guy who’s had so much success in this league,” special teams captain Brenden Schooler said after the win. “He’s so well-respected. And he talked about no matter what your role is on the team, own your role and do it to the best of your ability. Because when you travel, it’s only 53 guys. No matter how big – you’re the starting quarterback, or you just go in on PAT (extra points) as a lineman, your job is super-important because it’s just one play can change the momentum of the game. So to have him say that, you know, and kind of echo what Coach (Mike) Vrabel always tells us, I think it was it was huge for everyone in that team meeting room to hear that.”
It wasn’t just Dungy’s speech that inspired the Patriots at the end of the game.
Bradbury said players were joking after the win that the stadium shouldn’t have played The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” before their final drive.
“It’s an all-time song,” Bradbury said. “That got us more juiced up probably than the Bills’ defense. … There was just a bunch of confidence in the huddle, starting with Drake on that last drive.”
Vrabel said the team had confidence coming into the game, but they knew they were playing a tough opponent on the road in a hostile environment.
For cornerback Carlton Davis III, beating the Bills wasn’t enough.
“We’ve been building all season,” Davis said. “Each game we took a step. In the end, the main point this week was take another step. Beat a good team on the road. We came in here. We did that, and we took another step. And we need to take another step next week to solidify our identity.”
The Patriots have two more road games coming up against the Saints and Titans. Then they host the Browns and the Falcons in two more winnable games.
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